Ask the trade: Are bicycle mechanics paid enough for their skill set?

In what is bound to be a conversation starter in an industry where wages often fall short of the national average, CI.N asks five bike shop owners whether the bike business’s mechanics are paid enough considering their skill set. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on this one in the comments below…

Do mechanics in the bicycle business earn in accordance with their skillset, or are wages too low?

Alan Shaw, Garage Bikes
The wealth of training and experience we have in our workshop would be demanding much more in other industries. This is also true of all my local bike shops that have qualified and experienced mechanics of a high quality.

Staff retention is already a problem industry-wide and is going to get much worse as costs of living rise, but the industry can’t fund wages to keep up. I sound like a broken record to anyone who will listen, but the manufacturers have a big part to play in solving these issues and it’s falling on deaf ears.

David Lucas, Bike Spanner
It depends on the individual and the business they work for. I would say on balance wages are now in line with skillsets, but it wasn’t always the case.

Neil Holman, George Halls Cycle Centre
I think our pay is very good. Mine are on under just £11 per hour. I look at advertised mechanic’s jobs and his wage is more that a lot of Mechanics in big cities receive, let alone a small market town.

If you pay peanuts you get monkeys!

Roman Magula, London Green Cycles
In my opinion, their earnings are appropriate, given the average skill-set. Though better pay would probably change that in a long run.

Howard Wagstaff, Pedal and SpokeWages are too low, but most do it for the passion!